Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 574 - 539 Dream transformed into Zhuang Cheng

Chapter 574: 539 Dream transformed into Zhuang Cheng

Once upon a time, Little Bowl used her Right Positioning Heavenly Phenomena power to make a prayer, hoping someone could rescue Mazao from loneliness and pain, and bring happiness to that unfortunate girl.

This sincere prayer might have even facilitated my encounter with Mazao, beginning our story.

Yet afterwards, I was merely using Mazao to fulfill my own wishes.

Judging merely by the outcome, Mazao likely also gained a lot of happiness in this process. However, as a bystander and possibly the curtain-raiser of this story, Little Bowl couldn’t let this unequal situation continue.

She hoped I would choose Mazao over Doomsday.

And although I had previously made such an assessment of the Doomsday Era, I’m well aware that the so-called "Doomsday Era" is just one phase of "the world’s end." The overpowering terror, destruction, and despair are yet to come; that’s where the real main act lies. Despite this, if the question is limited to "stop doomsday or push it forward," there is still a bit of hesitation.

Stopping doomsday with partners is also a royal path—I used to seriously consider this.

However, if "ending doomsday" also means "ending all oddities," then my choice is obvious.

Even knowing that such a choice would genuinely leave me utterly isolated.

"In Brother Zhuang Cheng’s heart, is Sister Mazao merely a tool to satisfy your desires... just such a very convenient object?" Little Bowl asked.

Of course not.

Even with the choice I’ve made now, Mazao still occupies a very important place in my heart.

But from others’ perspectives, things probably won’t seem that way. Having resolutely chosen the other side in such a ultimatum, no matter how much I express the other’s importance in my heart, it seems insincere. What a person does is more important than what they say. This is an age-old truth taught across cultures, and I’ve always been educated this way.

Language is merely a tool to express one’s heart. The listener will digest and understand it with their subjective perspective, to some extent processing it into a result different from what the speaker intended to convey. Sincere words often get misinterpreted or misunderstood once spoken.

Therefore, I wouldn’t offer too many explanations to those who look at me with misunderstanding. It’s best if they understand, but if they don’t, they don’t, or if they want to misinterpret my heart in their own way, it’s fine too. As long as they don’t obstruct my path and interfere with my actions, they are free to view me however they wish.

Only for Little Bowl, I might have a somewhat different perspective. For some reason, I am more sincere with her than with Mazao and Zhu Shi, and I reveal my heart to her much more compared to others. Perhaps it’s because Little Bowl can truly perceive my soul. I might unknowingly have developed a strange dependency and urge to confide in her... in this little girl.

Could Mazao also have similar feelings towards Little Bowl? Although past Mazao definitely didn’t know Little Bowl had the power to sense others’ emotions, facing this exceptionally understanding child, she might have also obtained some indescribable solace.

"I like Mazao, this will not change," I said.

"But Brother Zhuang Cheng’s fondness for Sister Mazao contains a lot of utilitarian elements. If it weren’t for Sister Mazao being useful to you, you wouldn’t have liked her from the start, right?" Little Bowl asked, "If Sister Mazao were to lose her sweepstar power now, would you still like her?"

I reached out my hand to Little Bowl, who looked at it confusedly, then cooperatively extended her own hand.

Then, I gently held her small hand, and gave my answer.

"I would," I said.

I must admit, my fondness for Mazao stems from multiple factors. If one aspect of these factors vanished, perhaps my love for Mazao wouldn’t be as intense as before. Sometimes I feel this fondness is mixed with impurities, not purely love. However, I don’t see this as problematic.

I don’t pursue purity in interpersonal relationships, or rather, I think pursuing pure affection is pathological. Emotions between people are inherently filled with various complex and mixed elements.

Some people argue that liking someone for their appearance, wealth, ability, temperament, and other "elements that might change in the future" doesn’t count as truly liking the person themselves, but rather their attributes. But if all "elements that might change in the future," including appearance, wealth, ability, and temperament, are removed, what would be left of that person? What exactly does "liking the person themselves" refer to?

Although I too find that the pure emotions described in romance stories are beautiful, I don’t long for them. If my feelings change with time, I would simply reassess their position afterward. If separation is inevitable, I would persuade myself to accept it.

When aware of my internal errors and contradictions, I often don’t choose to correct them because these errors and contradictions are part of my soul. Likewise, even if I realize that my feelings for Mazao contain impurities, I won’t choose to eliminate them. Because this is the true emotion I have for Mazao. This feeling is the genuine self expressed by me.

I won’t pursue purely unadulterated emotions, nor will I be tormented by my feelings’ lack of purity. I don’t intend to immerse in that romance-style mental activity, because I want to be the protagonist of an adventure story, not a romance story.

What is truly lousy is the mindset of being overly concerned, unable to embrace when one should, and unable to let go when one should. From this perspective, I can’t say I’ve done perfectly, but I will not change my view.

I conveyed all these thoughts to Little Bowl, and as I held her hand, I tried to transmit all my emotions to her. I believed she could feel it all at this moment, genuinely touching my true soul.

A look of astonishment appeared on Little Bowl’s face.

She might value emotions more than I do, possibly cherishing their purity. Even if she could feel my thoughts, she might not fully accept them. Understanding between people does not necessarily lead to agreement, as the issue lies in differences in values. But if unspoken, the first step could never be taken.

After a moment, Little Bowl seemed to have figured something out, gradually returning to calmness, her body relaxed.

"If you can’t accept my pursuit of Doomsday and the unusual, or even my antagonism with Mazao, you may leave my side, I won’t stop you," I said. "But before that, at least let me help you resolve the Catastrophe Demon issue."

"Brother Zhuang Cheng, you actually want to use me to attract the Catastrophe Demon, right?" Little Bowl pointed out.

"That’s part of it," I admitted.

"Actually, Brother Zhuang Cheng, I’m not that concerned about whether Doomsday will arrive or what the world and future will become. I just hope Sister Mazao and you can find happiness," she said.

She seemed to be talking not only to me but to herself, perhaps organizing her thoughts through her words.

Then, she appeared to make a crucial decision.

She looked directly into my eyes and said firmly, "...So I’ve decided, I won’t leave you. On the contrary, I will continue to stand by your side and assist you."

"Why is that?" I asked, confused, "I’ve said I would be against your Sister Mazao, yet you still believe I can make Mazao happy?"

"Of course I trust you because, in my heart, you are the conclusion of my prayers—the embodiment of my dreams."

Little Bowl still held my hand, slowly changing her gesture, intertwining her delicate and soft fingers with mine as she continued, "So, it’s not just about trusting Brother Zhuang Cheng, it’s also about trusting myself.

"I want to believe... that no matter what happens in the future, you can achieve happiness with Sister Mazao."

I had never imagined that even after saying so much, Little Bowl would still stand by my side.

I had already prepared myself psychologically for being abandoned by everyone, resolved to walk the path of pursuing Doomsday alone, yet someone was willing to be with me?

Is such a thing... possible?

Seeing my bewilderment, Little Bowl smiled slightly and said, "Of course, I have further reasons for saying this. Brother Zhuang Cheng, you previously mentioned that the Evangelical Institute might have a way to freely travel between your original era and the Doomsday Era... Actually, this method might not exist, right?"

"...Yes," I acknowledged. "Time travel is never easy; unrestricted travel is even harder. Huang Quan appearing in the modern world might only have a one-way ticket from the Doomsday Era to the modern world, and he himself might never be able to return to the Doomsday Era.

"Though No. 7 mentioned that she could help me return to the modern world, she never said this method could allow me to return to the Doomsday Era."

In Luo Mountain’s records, at most, there were stories of people accidentally traveling from the past to the future or from the future to the past, but never stories of freely traveling between past and future.

If forced to give examples, there is only one.

That is Shan Liangyi, who can reincarnate across past and future, and myriad worlds.

"In such a case, you can only choose between the Doomsday Era and the era you originally belong to, yet in the matter that should have had a quick decision like just now, you couldn’t make an immediate decision, right?" Little Bowl asked.

It seems she accessed more of my thoughts than I imagined through our earlier contact. Such insights might not be achieved under normal circumstances, but I was so keen on opening my heart to her that it resulted in an excessive outcome.

Little Bowl continued, "And previously, even before you contacted Lady No. 7 or considered that the Evangelical Institute might hold the method to freely travel between the two eras, you hesitated about whether to remain in the Doomsday Era...

"Since Brother Zhuang Cheng, you could so firmly decide to oppose Sister Mazao just now, why hesitate on the previous issue? Is it because Sister Mazao is under threat from Ming Zhuo?

"Clearly you could be against Sister Mazao, yet considering abandoning Sister Mazao under Ming Zhuo’s threat was unacceptable?"

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